


In the Middle of Nowhere

by Naome



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-03
Updated: 2016-01-03
Packaged: 2018-05-11 07:54:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5619379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naome/pseuds/Naome
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rumors of a haunted campsite near one of the patrol routes drift throughout Camp Dragonhead, causing the Warrior of Light to reluctantly bring up the topic with Haurchefant. Dealing with revived spirits is common in the WoL's line of work, but by no means does that mean they're not at least a little afraid of ghosts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In the Middle of Nowhere

**Author's Note:**

> Ghosts are pretty serious business sometimes... don't mess with them haha.

                It had been several nights of chatter throughout the knights in Camp Dragonhead about a peculiar event. The routes patrols take in the snowy lands had changed again to throw heretics off track, and this time, a route many take happens to pass by a really old campsite abandoned years ago. Those who had walked by the place on the first few days always came back to the camp, looking pale and haggard as if they had seen something they shouldn’t have. Their limbs were shaking, but it seemed as if the cold was not the only culprit behind this.

  
                “H-hey… y-you’re the Warrior of Light… r-right?” one knight approached me one day, the eyebags on his face an intense black. The bottom of his lip continued to shiver with his entire body, and he looked like he was about to burst into tears.

  
                Slowly, I nodded my head. “Is there something you need help with?”

  
                “L-look… I don’t w-want to bring it up with the Lord… b-but one of the patrol routes… need to change… W-we… I d-don’t want to go near that place again…” I could hear his teeth chatter as he shook his head violently. “Never again… n-nope!”

  
                “What place?” I tilted my head and raised an eyebrow.

  
                “I-I thought you’d h-have a better chance with the Lord… considering you two s-seem… close…” he diverted his eyes for a second and coughed, “So… p-please tell him about this wanted change… quickly!”

  
                Suddenly, he grabbed my shoulder, turned me around, and pushed me in the direction of Haurchefant’s headquarters. Before I was thinking about it, my feet were already moving on their own towards the building. That man… looked quite frightened. Yet, I had no idea if the sparse details he gave me would be enough to convince the commander of this entire place to change whatever patrol route he was talking about.

…

                “Do you not have any more details about this change this knight is requesting?” he sounded exasperated, yet he managed to smile a little at me as I fumbled with my sleeves in thought.

  
                I shook my head, “Unfortunately, no. This was rather sudden, on the knight’s part, to confide in me such an odd request. I’ve no idea of the patrol routes, though I’ve heard many chatter recently about some place a route passes by…”

  
                “By any chance, my friend, did the knight bring up an old campsite?” he placed his chin snugly on top of his interlocked fingers.

  
                “Oh, no, I don’t think he gave such a detail. But, I’ve heard about it from other knights when I was running errands.”

  
                “My, my, a great warrior and a willing eavesdropper too… Is that how you gather information?” he giggled a little.

  
                “Haurchefant, please…” was all I could say in response to his teasing.

  
                “Alas, my dear, this situation looks rather grim. I have gotten many reports from my men about _that_ old campsite that seems to instill fear in the hearts of many men! Yet, you see, I feel that as grown adults, it is in our hearts to not believe so fanatically in… spectral beings.”

  
                “Ghosts, you mean?” my voice squeaked a little as a cold chill washed over my entire body. I gulped.

  
                He turned his attention towards me, and in a rather serious voice with a rather grim expression, he replied, “Yes, ghosts.”

  
                Ghosts, I’ve fought before. In creepy hallways where each step seemed like it was only a step closer to being spooked to death. Ghosts, I’ve vanquished before, but not before finding myself paralyzed a little before I make the first strike. “Ghosts,” I mumbled.

  
                “Is aught amiss? You turned rather pale… Oh, dear, do not tell me—“

  
                “Ghosts… do not scare me. Before you say more, Lord Haurchefant…” I replied, almost weakly. Almost as if I was cowering already. My knees felt a little wobbly and I could feel a cold sweat beginning. I tried to laugh my nervousness away. It was an awkward, high-pitched laugh.

  
                “Surely, you’ve run into a few on your journeys so far, no? Well, if they _do_ exist… I might need some assistance,” he flashed a smile at me, but I felt that there was a mischievous gleam hiding in his eyes. I began to sweat a little.

  
                “S-Sure! I can help. Of course. I wouldn’t want you to go alone anyways, out in the middle of nowhere…” my voice had almost dropped itself into a whisper as I felt my cheeks heat up a little. I looked down at the ground and fumbled with my coat sleeves again. I blinked furiously before I suddenly saw his boots standing in front of me. I was beginning to turn my head upwards when I felt a soft touch on my chin, his fingers gently guiding my face to look at him.

  
                “I could not bear the thought of sending you alone either, especially since you seem a little apprehensive about facing ghosts,” he gave a light chuckle before he gave me a quick peck on the cheek. I sighed audibly.

  
                “Not on the lips?” I whispered, a little frustrated. “Is it because I’m afraid of ghosts, isn’t it?” I puffed my cheeks.

  
                At this, he laughed loudly. “No, no, my dear, it is not because of something frivolous like that. It was because I saw a few knights watching through a window, so I thought I’d make it to look like I was just whispering something rather important in your ears…”

  
                “Haurchefant, I doubt it looked like that at all. Plus, I’m sure the entire camp already knows since the knight approached me solely on the grounds that I had a better chance at reasoning you into changing something because we’re close!”

  
                He could not stop giggling to himself, a mischievous grown man indeed. But his happiness was something that always melted my heart, and if I could, I would do anything to have him stay giggling like this. I reached up to his face, having to tip-toe a little, and pecked him on the lips.

  
                “We should go now, before the entire camp finds us in this rather intimate position in your office…” I whispered to him, smiling softly.

  
                “Ah… o-of course,” he mumbled, hugging me quickly before going to fetch his armor and weapon. He had been thrown a bit off-guard by the sudden kiss. However, he looked like he enjoyed it very much with the creeping blush on his cheeks.

  
                I rubbed my forearms a little and shivered. Ghosts… something I have dealt with before, something I can handle, surely, even if I freeze up out of fear now and then when facing them. I sighed, shoulders drooping a little, and gave a small prayer to the Twelve that this investigation would be swift.

…

                We should have headed out earlier. The night sky was already looming over us, oozing an ominous aura that bad things were in store for us at the old campsite. Any sort of container for lanterns or fires for light was destroyed in the campsite, so Haurchefant took it upon himself to hold up a torch. With his free hand, he held mine as I had my weapon ready in the other.

  
                “I’ll go first, my dear, to light the way to make sure nothing is creeping upon us from the front… However—“

  
                “S-say no more… I’ll be fine trailing behind, surely. Just… please don’t let go. If there’s any sort of s-supernatural happenings that b-brush me even lightly, I’ll tug on your hand… Okay…?” I looked up at him shyly, my eyes barely out of my hood to give him an earnest look. “I really do mean it when I ask you to please hold onto me, okay?”

  
                He raised his eyebrows for half a second before settling into a comforting expression, his eyes warm and a subtle smile revealing itself on his handsome face. “Of course, my dear. I would never mean to leave you behind in the dark.”

  
                I nodded up at him and urged him to move forwards. If there really were ghosts, I’m sure I’d survive the fright somehow if I held onto Haurchefant’s hand. It was a warm grip that kept me tuned to our investigation, making sure my brain didn’t wander off too frequently on the thought of spectral beings stalking us.

  
                “This shan’t take too long. We should be back in Dragonhead by the middle of the night, lest there really are spooky happenings around here. Alas, there is always the possibility that mayhaps fatigued eyes see the delusions the tired brain projects. My dear, your hand is shaking quite a bit… Are you okay?” he stopped in his tracks and turned around to me.

  
                My knees felt weak and I could barely walk. My entire body was shivering. I only heard parts of what he said as I stared at something far from us, near a ragged tent. It was glowing. As I squinted to make sure it wasn’t a figment of my imagination, I swore I could make out two small eyes and some kind of mouth from a glowing humanlike figure.

  
                “Pray tell me where are you looking? By Halone, you look so pale from what I can see…”

  
                “H-Haurchefant… there’s a ghost over there. By that lone t-tent over there. Please, lie to me sweetly for once, and say there isn’t and drag m-me away…”

  
                “A silly request, now? Pray let me look,” he turned his head towards where I was looking. I blinked a few times, and then the figure was gone. “There is naught amiss over there. I see none. I am not lying here either, my dear. Let us continue…”

  
                “S-sorry… I…”

  
                “As long as I have a good hold on you, I shan’t let any spectral otherbeing harm you. I intend to keep that promise till the end of time, love,” there was a smile from how he talked. I could only sigh and continue to drag my feet forwards. I felt like a huge burden to him, and my stomach began to knot itself as my palms began to sweat.

  
                “We are almost at the end of this campsite, and naught is amiss. We are almost done, so hold on for just a bit, endure a little bit longer… You shall be okay, under my watch,” his voice oozed comfort towards my rattling heart, but the closer we got to the other end of the campsite, the more figures I could swear I saw in my peripheral vision. Glowing faces, the winter winds carrying a hollow and ghastly moan. I would close my eyes tightly and let him drag me a few steps before I was courageous enough to open them again.

  
                Then, I felt warm puffs of air hover over my cold neck.

  
                I tugged on his hand with so much energy that I almost pulled him down to the snow. “A-ah… Haurchefant… s-something is—“

  
                “O-oh dear! I almost fell there…” he recovered himself and then turned to me. His calm face soon contorted a little, examining closely whatever he saw behind me.

  
                I gulped and closed my eyes, “I-is there… something… behind me?” I asked breathlessly, my entire body rattling with fear.

  
                “Stay still…” he ordered as he unsheathed his sword. “Duck your head slowly…”

  
                I did so and he took a huge swing at whatever was behind me. A nightmarish scream echoed throughout the empty campsite as I dropped to my knees. “Oh, by the Twelve…” I quickly mumbled to myself as I fumbled around my waist for my weapon.

  
                “Worry not, love, I shall take it down!” at this, he lunged at the thing behind me and dealt more damage. As soon as I turned around, however, I had to quickly jump out of the way to avoid being slashed open by a set of sharp claws.

  
                “Haurchefant!” I yelled out in the dark, looking everywhere to find him. As soon as I found him, thankfully unhurt with his sword poised for another lunge, I let out a sigh of relief.

  
                “By Halone’s will, it’s a wandering Aevis!” he shouted after seeing its wings in the light of the dropped torch.

  
                Soon afterwards, the beast had been taken care of, and both of us were left standing, panting in the cold air of the night. The torch had gone out, but the moon was far up in the sky enough to cast its pale glow over the land.

  
                As I was processing what just happened, I felt a hand take one of mine and squeeze it. I turned to look at Haurchefant, and he was still some distance away from me. Oh Gods. Who was holding my hand then?

  
                I shrieked and threw the mysterious grip away from me and jumped onto Haurchefant, almost tackling him over in sheer fright.

  
                “L-love! T-this is not the place for—“

  
                “I don’t intend to do that in the middle of nowhere, you silly!” I shouted, my lungs running out of air from the fright I had just experienced. “You silly… you s-silly! You let go of my h-hand… Look, l-let’s just leave this place now!!!” I was struggling to catch my breath as he stood upright.

  
                “I suppose that is a sound decision,” I swore I could see some sort of sneaky smile on his face in the little light we had thanks to the moon. “I must apologize, dearly, for letting go. Here, let me take both of your hands now.”

  
                I gingerly thrust them towards him, and waited for his warm grip to encase both of them. I was on the verge of crying, but I only let out a small sniffle as we set off back to Camp Dragonhead.

  
                Haurchefant, oblivious to the ghosts in that campsite, seemed calm the rest of the way. I struggled with keeping myself from becoming a nervous wreck while we walked back towards the way we entered the site.

  
                “My love, I saw no ghosts. None at all. I am sure there is no dire need to change the patrol routes anyways. Mayhaps these ghostly tricks are meant to serve utility to the heretics, allowing them to establish a base there once they know we buy into such silly stories.”

  
                “Oh, by the Twelve, just change the route a little! I saw ghosts though you did not! Just do this to give your men some peace!” I pleaded on the way back. I let out a frustrated huff as we walked in silence the rest of the way. He had let go of one of my hands and I was okay with this. I huddled closer to him as we walked back to the camp, feeling a little safer with the foolish Lord at my side in the dead of the night.


End file.
